KAOSS Redux: Multi-axis FX Meets DJ-fueled Beat-crafting
In 1999, Korg revolutionized the musical landscape with the debut of the first KAOSS Pad, challenging how artists get hands-on with their sound to embrace the limitless possibilities of the new millennium, boasting a touchscreen with customizable multi-axis audio processing. In the ensuing quarter-century, the KAOSS legacy would be cemented through multiple permutations of the KAOSS Pad, the KAOSSILATOR, and more, culminating in a heavy-duty reimagining of the instrument that started it all: the KAOSS Replay Dynamic Effects Processor and Sampler. Blurring the boundaries of beat-making, sampling, and DJing, the KAOSS Replay is nothing short of a production and performance powerhouse, combining the hallmark KAOSS touchscreen architecture with 16 velocity-sensitive performance pads, a robust sampler, over 100 onboard effects, and a slew of DJ-inspired mixing tools. Armed with a formidable suite of MIDI and audio connectivity options, Sweetwater’s producers and beat-makers are raring to push the limits of their performance prowess with the voltaic expressivity of Korg’s KAOSS magic. Whether you want to use it as a standalone sampler or integrate it into your sonic setup, the KAOSS Replay will undoubtedly elevate any stage or studio experience with hands-on control.
Voltaic sampling and production, powered by KAOSS
While sampling has always been part of the KAOSS ethos, the KAOSS Replay dares musicians to redefine the boundaries of sampling, resampling, and sample-based productions, allowing for complex aural interplay across its 16 velocity-sensitive, LED-backlit performance pads and eight instantly accessible sound banks. Powerful audio-processing tools allow you to trim, sync, stretch, re-pitch, and quantize samples, coupled with a 12-point Hot Cue system to create a dynamic, DJ-style experience that bypasses the limitations of conventional deck-based DJing. What’s more, the KAOSS Reply incorporates a dual-bank assignment system for its performance pads, with each bank given its own fader to support inventive beat-juggling and sample-swapping across channels. Plus, between the microSD card slot, audio and MIDI over USB, and multiple audio inputs, real-time sampling with external audio sources allows for inventive, collaborative exploration, from cueing individual stems and loop-based performances to on-the-fly mix-ups and electrifying jam sessions.
KAOSS theory: unmatched hands-on expression
Every iteration of Korg’s KAOSS instruments has been defined by their distinctive capacity for hands-on control via touch-based interfacing, and the KAOSS Replay continues this tradition with a 5-inch, OLED touchscreen that allows you to engage any of its 128 onboard effects via X- and Y-axis touch points. Attenuating the depth of effects and developing project-specific parameters let you craft specific preset-performance setups to accommodate any number of live or studio scenarios. Korg’s voltaic suite of effects and masterful audio-processing tools abound throughout the KAOSS lineage, and the KAOSS Replay’s armature of expressivity includes everything from classic reverbs, delays, and flangers to multidimensional performance tools that blend slicers, filters, grain-shifters, and more into a single effect.
Connect, control, and electrify
Musical malleability elevates the KAOSS Replay above its predecessors by being outfitted with an immense swath of performance potential, thanks to its versatile connectivity options. Stereo RCA I/O pairs are joined by a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input and 1/4-inch headphone stereo output, supporting flexible configurations of mixing, monitoring, sampling, and DJing with a dedicated Monitor Mix control knob and input gain attenuator. MIDI can be processed via micro USB-B or the 5-pin DIN I/O, while the MIDI Surface mode lets you deploy the distinct interfacing and form factor of the KAOSS Replay for performing and controlling virtually any other compatible instrument as a MIDI controller. Moreover, because the USB connector supports both audio and MIDI, you can even use the KAOSS Replay as a plug-and-play USB audio interface. The KAOSS Replay even features a dedicated 1/4-inch footswitch jack to expand your sound-shaping opportunities beyond what you can reach with your hands.
Korg KAOSS Replay Features:
- Blending performance pads with KAOSS interfacing means an electrifying, all-in-one sampler, mixer, and audio processor with endless opportunities for expression
- 5-inch OLED touchscreen supports dynamic, multi-axis FX control for unmatched, hands-on interfacing
- 16 performance pads feature LED back-lighting and velocity-sensitivity for detailed, multi-sensory performance experiences
- 8 banks of 16-pad sounds mean up to 128 dedicated samples are always available at any time within your current project
- 128 onboard effects range from classic to cutting-edge to supply an endless armature of performance possibilities to customize your sound
- Dedicated Tone, Delay, and Reverb effects for the front-mounted 1/4-inch mic input let you shape your recordings with greater control before internal processing
- Dual-bank assignment system includes faders for each bank to accommodate DJ-style beat juggling and inventive sample manipulation via isolated stems, real-time recordings, and more
- 12-point Hot Cue system lets you seamlessly jump straight to targeted audio points for increased precision in your DJing and adjacent performances
- Versatile connectivity suite includes stereo RCA I/O pair, 5-pin DIN MIDI I/O, 3.5mm aux in, USB, headphone output, and 1/4-inch dynamic mic input
- USB micro Type-B port supports MIDI and audio (2-channel in, 34-channel out) for extended interoperative integration
- Input gain control ensures real-time sampling from external sources is level-matched with your production
- Sets can be recorded for up to 100 minutes of 48kHz/16-bit audio for easy sharing and preservation of live-performance ingenuity
- Support for microSD and microSDHC means up to 32GB of supplementary storage
- Footswitch jack allows for greater expressive possibilities without compromising hands-on control over performance features
- AC adapter and USB Type-A to micro Type-B cable are included to kick-start your KAOSS experience right out of the box
